Every season, the Pittsburgh Steelers find a way to hold their roster together despite the restraints of an NFL salary cap. But this doesn’t mean every contract decision is the best one. Here are the three worst salary cap hits on the books right now for the Steelers.
Tight end | Vance McDonald $3.827 million
Considering the Steelers signed Eric Ebron as a free agent, I’m a little surprised the Steelers kept McDonald’s $3.827 million on the books for the 2020 season. Mcdonald has 88 receptions in the past two seasons but has never been a consistent part of the Steelers’ offense.
Defensive tackle | Stephon Tuitt $14.94 million
It’s insane to think Tuitt’s cap hit for 2020 is higher than Cam Heyward’s and is the third-highest cap hit on the team. Tuitt hasn’t played 16 games in a season since his rookie year and missed 10 games last season with injury. Tuitt still has three years left on this contract but it’s hard to see him getting paid that much for 2021 and 2022.
Offensive tackle | Alejandro Villanueva $8.39 million
I could have subbed in multiple members of the Steelers offensive line here but in contrast to how they played last season but Villanueva gets the nod here. Villanueva’s story about how he became a starter in the NFL is amazing and it’ll make a great ESPN 30for30 someday. But despite being something of a bargain for a starting left tackle his spot in the starting lineup is more about options.
